The cost of IT products and services in the developing world is not getting better, despite all the promises and cost-saving advances in technology and political assurances. It is a shame, though not unlike other aspects of our inevitable Global Village: The rich are getting richer while the poor are being impoverished, thus getting poorer!

I shall not stop screaming about the cost of oil and gas, and its debilitating impact on all the poor nations of our planet. Pray, how would they pay? Credit or more handouts? For how long? Is anyone collating and caring? Or, may they be simply doomed???

Back to IT, when will the "digital divide" be reasonably narrowed ( I'm not even suggesting the over-parroted "bridging" ambition!)?? Who's working on the UN Treaty on the subject? When will computers become cheaper, affordable and available in the developing world? And when will calls' tariff follow suit?

Is there anyone naive enough to believe that the Millennium Development Goals, MDGs, have any real chance of being attained without tackling the above subjects frontally?

As for our leaders in Africa, I hope they do not need the heavens to descend before they go in purposeful search of our own IT experts in the Diaspora - sons and daughters who we should be proud of - to come make things happen on the mother-continent? In this regard, let's treat them like any expert or investor - fully incentivised, and leveraged for financial services at the African Development Bank as well as other sources (including commercial banks in South Africa, Nigeria, Libya and Egypt).

It is a disgrace that most of Africa's telecoms, including internet traffic, is still being routed through Europe and America in 2007! NEPAD should have tackled this, and settled it, within 12 months of its take-off. GSM coverage in Africa shouldn't be treated like nuclear science. It should be liberalised forthwith, while the CDMA at its most advanced should be used to boost local land lines/wireless density and penetration. The Nigerian experience should guide NEPAD in this business.

We should worry. Our kids are being left behind. What kind of legacy are we creating for them?
Is it time, therefore, for the continent to fully embrace CommonLicence, OpenSource and VoIP as a first step, while the AU goes to learn some high impact interventions lessons from the EU? We better do.

Oh Africa, where be thy pride?